Mooring device for lighter-than-air craft



Sept. 1, 1925.

O. GEISLER MOQRING DEVICE FOR LIGHTER THAN Ala' CRAFT Filed Feb, 24, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 n, ML u ww R a7 N www mlm Q w L N RN d pw X \K Q q @m MWWWMJWMM, QN N o o QW w m.. w, N wN Sept. 1, 1925. y 1,551,655

v O. GEISLER MOORING DEVICE FOR LIGHTER THAN AIR CRAFT I Filed'Feb, 24. 1925 s sheets-sheet 2 Sept. 1, 1925.

O. GEISLER MOORING DEVICE FOR LIGHTER THAN AIR CRAFT Filed Feb, 24. 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet. 3

.E K I INVENTOR O. GE/sLf/e ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. l, 1925.

UNITED STATES o'rTo 'GEIsLEa Vor CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

MOORING DEVICE FOB. LIGHTER-THAN-AIR CRAFT.

Application led February 24, 1925. Serial No. 11,285.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OTTO GnIsLER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented 'a new and useful Improvement in Mooring Devices for Lighter-Than-Air Craft, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in mooring devices for lighter than air craft, and it consists in the combinations, constructions and arrangements herein described and claimed.

An object of my invention is to provide a mooring device of the character described, by means of which a lighter than air craft may be safely moored by none others than the crew of the ship, without the necessity of employing operators on the ground, as is necessary in the present-day. method of mooring ships, particularly large lighter than air craft. i

A further object of my invention is to rovide a device of the character describe inv which the momentum and speed of the ship as it moves toward the mooring ground furnishes the power inpart for safely mooring the ship.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the character described, by means of which avery large lighter than air craft may be safely moored in a few minutes, whereas` in the present case, by the employment of ground operators and tie ropes and cables, it necessitates at times hours of work to properly moor a ship.

A further object of my invention is to provide a mooring device of the character described, in which novel means is employed for raising the entire ship free of the ground and for releasing the ship', so that it may take olf in a direct vertical ascent, without endangering the occupants thereof by the possibility of prow or stern inclination.

A further project of my invention is to provide a mooring device of the character described, which is automatic in operation, which is durable in construction, and which is thoroughly practical for the purpose intended.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following specilication, and the novel features ofthe invention will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming part of this apphcation, 1n which Figure 1 is a side elevation of an embodiment of my invention, a part thereof being shown in section,

Figure 2 is a side elevation of a part of the mechanism shown in Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a partial sectional View substaitially along the line 3--3 of Figure 2, an

Figure 4 is a sectional view of the take-off mechanism employed in connection with my improved mooring device.

In carrying out my invention, I make use of. the ordinary type of lighter than air craft, having a body portion 1 and a passenger keel 2. A retractable operator cabin 3 lis adapted for disposition, as shown in Figure 1, below the passenger keel 2 at will, and while the ship is in flight may be retracted within the keel 2. -The oiiicer in charge of mooring the ship is stationed in this cabin.

A mooring hook 4 is pivotally mounted at 5 to the keel 2 adjacent to the prow portion 6 of the ship. This hook member 4, when not in use, is drawn up close to the keel 2, as when the ship is in iight.

The hook member 4 has a piston 7 associated therewith by means of a piston rod 8 which is disposed in an air cylinder 9. The cylinder 9 is secured to the pivotal connection 5. Thus there is a cushion of air between the hook 4 and the pivotal support 5, so that' the hook possesses elasticity and shock absorbing qualities.

A liexible pipe 10 communicates with the cylinder 9 beneath the piston 7, and at its opposite end with a suitable air compressor (not shown) within the passenger keel 2, by means of which the pneumatic connection between the hook and its pivotal support may be care-fully controlled.

A cable 11 is secured at one end-of the hook 4, and extends over a pulley l2 disvto the hook 4 andv to the opposite end to a power driven winch 15 disposed at .the stern portion 16 of theship. The particular function of this cable will be more clearly set forth at a later time.

A hoisting cable17 is also secured to the hook 4 and extends to a winch 18 adjacent to the operator cabin 3, by means of which the hook'may be drawn upwardly into close proximity with the keel 2, as when the ship is in flight. Certain stop devices for receiving the hook 4 are provided at the place of mooring, and consist in a pair ofcarriages, one of which is driven by the momentum of the ship, and the other of which is driven. by its own power.

These carriages are generally indicated at A and B in Figure 1, and are disposed upon a pair of rails 20, similar to the ordinary type of rails employed for traction purposes, and intended to support the carriages thereupon. The rails 20 are provided with secondary rail members 21, which are disposed at a short distance above the top of the traction' Wheels) 22 of the carriages, when the carriages are resting upon t-he rails 20.

Thus the carriages may ride upon the rai] members 21, if elevated from the rails 20, as when the ship is secured to the carriage.

The carriage A is provided with a loopshaped eye. member 23, which projects upwardly from the platform 24, forming a part of the carriage, and with which the hook 4 may engage as the ship moves toward its mooring position. During this operation, the pilot 1n the operator cabin 3 must exercise great skill, and when the hook 4 misses the member 23, the ship ,will circle and once more iy toward the carriage, so that the hook may ultimately be engaged with the member 23.

A relatively long inclined cam member 26 is provided along the side of the rails at one side of the carriage, and a lever 27 pivotally mounted at 28 upon the carriage A has a roller 29 whichengages with the cam surface 26. Thus movement of the carriage A in "the direction of the arrow C must cause the lever 27 to move upon its pivotal center .28.

' The opposite end 30 of the lever 27 is connected by means of toggle links 31' to brake shoes 32, which are arranged to engage with four of the wheels 22 of the carriage A, when the lever 27 is moved, as by movement of the roller 29 up the cam 26.

It is thus seen that when theship engages with the member 23 by means of a hook 4, and continues ahead by .virtue of its own momentum, that the carriage will be drawn forwardly and the brake shoes 32 applied to gradually stop the carriage.

The carriageB is connected to the carriage A by a hook 33, which is pivotally mounted thereto at 34. This hook 33 is arranged to engage with an upright 35 carried by the carriage A when the carriage A moves forward, thus drawing the carriage B therewith.

With reference now to Figures 2 and 3, it will be noted that the carriage B is provided with a substantially horizontal shaft 36 mounted for oscillation in a bearing 37. The shaft 36 extends transversely to the rails 2O and 21. A pair of gra-pple arms 38 are pivotally mounted at 39'tothe op.

posite ends of the shaft 36 respectively, intermediate their length. A pulley wheel 40 is rotatably mounted on the upper end of each of t-he grapple arms 38. The arms 38 are bent laterally at.41,vso that the pulley wheels 40 may be disposed one in' front of the other with their axes parallel with the axis of the shaft 36.

` The arms 38 are normally held by means of a tension spring 43 connected between the lower ends 44 of the arms in a position with the pulley wheels 40 apart from one another. Thus the cable 14, which lies in the position shown in Figure 1, as the'ship is about to b e moored, may fall between the upper ends of the arms 38.

Means for causing the arms 38 to assume the position Vshown in Figure 3, and permitting engagement with the pulley wheels 40 with the cable 14, is'provided with an air cylinder 45 carried by the carriage B, which is connected through a valve 46 with an air tank 47 by means yof a pipe 48. The cylinder 45 has a pair of pistons 49 therein, which are connected by means of piston rods 50 and links 51 to the lowermost end 44 of the arms `38.

The valve 46 has a valve rod 52 for actuation therein, which is arranged so that movement of the valve rod 52 toward the front ofthe carriage B will permit air to enter the cylinder 45, and operate the pistons 49 to cause the arms 38 to assume the position shown in Figure 3.

The valve rod 52 is Ynormally held in the position to close the valve 46 by means of a compression spring 53, mounted concentric with a. portion of the valve rod 52 which extends through the remote endwall 54 of the casing of the valve 46. A head 55 is provided at .the outermost end of the rod 52 against which the spring may bear.

Means for actuation of the valve rod 52 to close the arms 38 about the cable 14 as quickly as the carriage A is-moved forwardly is in a trigger 56 pivotally mounted at 52 to the outermost end of the hook 33. This trigger is connected by means of a rigid push rod 58 to the valve rod 52. The outermost end of the trigger 56 lies beyond the outermost end of the hook and is normally in Contact with the upright 35 on the carriage A, so that the trigger must be voperated before the carriage B starts to move with the carriage A.

Means for `disengaging the carriage B from the carriage A, after the arms 38 have closed over the cable'14, is provided in an inclined cam 60, which, like the cam'26, is disposed along the side of the rails 20 and 21, and upon which a laterally extending projection 61 (see dotted lines in Figure l) from the hook 33 rides. As the carriages A and B move in the direction of the arrow C, 4the hook 33 will gradually rise, by. meansY Means for driving the carriage B in the direction ofthe arrow D, and opposite to the direction of the carriage A, immediately upon disconnection of the carriagesv from one another, which occurs only after the arms 38 have closed about the cable 14, is provided with an electric motor 63, which is connected to the shaft 64 associated with the pair of the wheels 22of the carriage B. This shaft 64 also carries a pinion 65 at the outer side of one of the wheels 22, which is adapted to engage with a toothed rack 65 carried bythe adjacent rail 21.l Thus operation of the motor 63 will drive the carriage B in the .direction of the arrow D.

Means for operating the motor 63 is provided in a switch 66 disposed at the front of the carriage B, having avv lever 67, which, when moved toward the front of the carriage B, will close the switch. Current for .the motor 63 is derived from a pair'o-f buss bars .68 which are disposed along the inner wall of the uprights 69, upon' which the rails 21 are formed. One of these buss bars is shown in Figure 1, but since the tracks are shown only in part, the opposite pair, which is carried by the opposite track, cannot be seen; Suitable brushes (not shown) are carried by the carriage B for engaging with the buss bars 68. A rod 70 is carried by the carriage A and has a hook -71 at theoutermost end thereof, which normally rests over and slightly in the rear of the lever 67 of the switch 66, when the carriages are connected and moving forwardly.

Instantly upon disconnection of the carriage B from the carriage A, the carriage A will continue to move forward, and the hook 71 will engage with and move the lever 67,

so 'las to close the lever 66 and start the motor 63.

This rearward movement of the carriage B will `cause a downward pull upon the cable '14 at the rear end of the cable, so as to force the stern portion of the ship down. It must be remembered at this time that .the enormousA momentum of the ship is still in force and driving the carriageA forwardly, and that the'carriages are actually moving apart from one another. y

At this particular time also, extremely heavy strains are placed upon the hook 4, the direct shocks of which are absorbed in the air'oylinder 9, and the operator in the operator cabin 3 will slowly release the winch 13 to permit the hook 4 to fall closely to the keel 2 of forwardly.

When the pulley wheels 40 haveapproached the rearward end of the cable 14, and the winch 15 has been tightened, the arms will naturally incline toward the foremost end of the carriage B by virtue of the rotative mounting of .the shaft 36 upon which the arms are carried, and the ship will be in a horizontal position quite close to the top of the carriages and at astandstill. Means for relieving the carriages A and B from strain during the time that the ship is moored, and for securely holding the ship in its moored position, is provided in rigid loop-shaped members 70 (see Figure 4) disposed at the ends of the shafts 71a slidably mountedupon the passenger keel 2 and disposed on the louter walls of the passenger keel. These shafts may be moved longitudinally from the -keel to the position shown in dotted lines.

Y Mooring hooks 72 disposed atthe uppermost end of the piston rods 73 are provlded for engagement with the hooks 72, -and the ship` as the ship movesV means for moving the piston rod 73 verticall v up or down is provided in a hydraulic cylinder74, having a piston 7 5 whichis disposed at the lowermost end of the rod 73. A pairof fluid tanks 76 and 77 are connected by means of pipes 78 and 79 respectively with the upper and lower ends of the cylinder 74. Each of the pipes 78 and 29 have control valves 80 and 81 respectively.

Meansfor maintaining the fluid in the tanks 76 and 77 is provided in a compressor or pump 82 connected with the pipes 83 and 84 respectively. Thus actuation of the vah'e 80 will cause the fluid from the tank 76 to enter the cylinder above the iston 75, and to drive thecpiston toward the otto'm of the cylinder, thus causing the rod 73 with its hook 72 to draw the ship toward the ground.' This operation is carried'out during the final mooring of the ship after it has been safely brought to a position within reach of the hooks 72 by the carriages A andB.

When it is desired to release the shi for flight, the valves 81 are opened, and flui under pressure from the tanks 77 enters the lower end of the cylinder below the piston 75, so'as to cause the piston rods 73 to rise and thus elevate the ship.

When the ship has been elevated as far as the. rod 73 will permit, the shafts l71 are manually moved outwardly from the keel 2 from within, so as to free the loop' member 70 from the grapple hooks 72. This movement of the shaft 71 is simultaneous as to all of the shafts, so that the.releasing of the ship from all points of mooring is accom- 1 materially in econornizing in the operation and maintenance of large lighter than air craft.

I claim:

1. The combination with a lighter than air El: craft having a mooring hook, of movable means disposed upon the earth for engagement with said hook When said craft moves over said movable means adapted to resist and stop the movement of said ship, and aul5 tomatic means for engaging with and drawing that portion of said shaft remote from said hook toward the earth, Vsaid last named means including a cable extending longitudinally of said craft, a self-propelled carriage, and grapple arms arranged to engage with said cable carried by said carriage.

2. The combination with a lighter than air craft having amooring hook, of movable means disposed upon the earth for engagement with said hook when said craft moves over said movable means adapted e to resist and stop the movement of said ship, other means for engaging with and anchoring said craft when at a standstill, said last named means being arranged to elevate and release said craft when said craft is ready for flight.

OTTO GEISLER. 

